The First Daughter
by Eliza Rush
Summary: Who knew that saying "No" to a guy would result in being in a car accident and taken to the air by a Drakon? Well Hannah Batson just learned d along the way learning the truth about her semi-present Mother and her Uncle, and who she really is: The First Daughter of Artemis. But something is brewing: What will happen? Find out in: THE FIRST DAUGHTER!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

The day wasn't that strange. Aww, what the heck is was as strange as being chased after school by a one eyed jock jerk with half a sheep man running with you yelling, "KEEP RUNNING CUPCAKE!" 

In fact that's exactly how my day went, or at least that's how my day ended with a BANG! And only because I wouldn't go out with Jeremy yeah the huge guy that grew immensely in height and his eyes had now merged together into one huge eye. His baseball jersey was bulging under the new mass. He swung his baseball bat around our heads. Yeah the sheep man was still beside me yelling at me, "KEEP RUNNING CUPCAKE!"

It's not like I didn't have an idea what the guy was but right at that moment the correct term escaped me as I apparently was running for my LIFE! I looked back as Jeremy swung his bat in the air trying to knock us off our feet. I ducked as a swing came down too close to my head, I nearly tripped but the sheep guy grabbed my arm to balance me and he dragged behind him. He brought out a walkie talkie and yelled into it,

The voice replied on the walkie talkie replied, _"Coach could you not call me Hydra Breath?"_

"Stop complaining Cupcake! Where on earth are you?"

_"At the front of the school."_ The voice replied.

"GROVER YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING US!"

_"Give me a break Coach, I haven't been on the field in years! I don't know why they-"_

"STOP WITH THE EXCUSES CUPCAKE! WE'RE BY THE BASEBALL FEILDS! COME PICK US UP!"

_"I hear ya Coach!"_ the voice paused as I heard an engine roar in the walkie talkie, "Frank is closing in on your position!"

I asked. "Who's Frank?!"

Then out of nowhere I heard a trumpet of an elephant and thundering footsteps along with it. I turned my head and saw yeah an elephant charging not towards me and the goat man but at Jeremy. The elephant crashed into Jeremy.

I wanted to stop and stare but the goat sheep dog pulled my arm yelling at me to keep running. We kept running and a white van for a strawberry farm pulled up in front of us. The door slid open and a blonde stood in the doorway, "GET IN CUPCAKE!" He shouted and the goat sheep man pushed me into the van.  
"I'm not getting kidnapped right?"

The blonde looked at me and replied, "No, we're here to help! We'll get you to safety!"

The sheep dog man came in and shouted at the driver, "DRIVE GROVER!"

The blonde looked at the sheep dog man and said that she was going to help Frank, or something and jumped out and the goat legged guy shut the van door, and the van quickly sped off, I fell because of it.  
A few empty crates for strawberries fell on top of me. I quickly got rid of them and stood up again but because of the vans movements I never got good balance.

I looked at the goat legged man, and then it hit me, I snapped my fingers and stated, "You're a Faun like Mr. Tumnus!"

The faun grumbled. "It's _satyr_." he replied. I rolled my eyes and walked over to the back and looked out the windows as the elephant-

"WHAT?!" I shouted.

I saw the elephant change shape and then the blonde charged at Jeremy with a bone-like weapon, and the elephant changed into a lion!

I turned my head and yelled at the satyr, as he liked to be called, "Did that elephant turn into-?"

"Cupcake just sit down: It'll just get weirder for you yankees."

I disobeyed and looked out the window again as Jeremy tackled the lion and used his huge hand and knocked the blonde out of the way. One-eyed Jeremy roared and another jeremy with baseball jersey and baseball bat, and yes one eye came thundering toward the van, swinging his bat like a club.

I laughed nervously, "Hehehe, Hey batter batter batter SWING!" I said, and he did just that he swung his bat but the van wasn't going fast enough to evade the swing and the van was hit and began to flip in mid air several times with strawberry crates flying everywhere. I began to really freak out and I randomly shouted, "IT'S A SPRING FLING!"

The van stopped rolling and landed on it's side. My body ached terribly with crates on top of me. I blinked slowly, the satyr's voice muffled and echoing against my ears, "I hope this one isn't a Hermes or Apollo kid: we have enough of those trouble makers."

"Chrion said that this one was special." The driver replied.

I quickly picked myself, shoved away the crates, and dusted myself off.

"Alright Cupcakes we have to get out of here somehow."

Then the whole side of the van door was ripped off the van and the one eyed freak stared in. One look and I knew who it was, "Jack?" He smiled and reached for me. "MOVE CUPCAKE!" he shouted as he shoved me out of the way and the one eyed guy named Jack grabbed the satyr instead of me.

The driver walked up to me and pushed what was left of the back doors open and hurried me out. He took my arm and ran, "We have to get you to safety!"

I also noticed that this guy was also a satyr as he galloped with his furry goat legs. He pulled me into a distant alley and we leaned up against a wall as we caught our breath. "We have to call for backup!" He panted he pulled something out a coin or something and looked at a puddle and then chanted something under his breath and flipped the coin into the pool and rainbow shimmered out of the pool and the stayr yelled, "Chiron at Camp Half-Blood!"

The rainbow shimmered into many colors and a picture of a guy with a long brown curly beard and hair to match. He smiled as he put away some writing, "Hello Grover." Then his face changed as he saw our faces, "What's wrong?"

"Chiron we need backup, now!"

"Yes I'll send help right away!"

"Thanks! Hurry!"

The rainbow shimmered away and I just stared and asked, "**WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!**"

Grover didn't reply as he looked out for the cyclops and slowly rose to his feet and motioned for me to do the same for me.

I got up quickly waited, and looked out myself and observed the fight happening. Then Grover turned his head and grabbed my arm again and led me though different alleys. We paused again and looked around to make sure we weren't followed. Then something was off, I heard flapping of bat wings, and sensed something was around the area.

My pupils shrunk and stopped breathing, "The air." I whispered. I only had one chance to look up and out came down a scaly dragon with huge talons and bat-like wings. It came down and the talons grabbed me by the shoulders and with one flap swooped me up the air, hoisting me higher and higher than carrying me away. I struggled against the dragon's talons and eventually the dragon lost it's grip momentarily but then picked me up again screeching as if to declare victory. I sulked then I heard something else a metallic screeching, my senses heightened and I looked to my left and saw a flying metal propelled object coming straight for us. The dragon noticed and tried to veer away but no matter what it did the missile hit us and

_**KABOOM! **_

The explosion caused my ears to pop and I expected my face to be completely blown off, but the I had no time to really think cause the dragon let go of my shoulders and I began to free fall. I watched the ground coming, closer, closer, and closer, and the thought of dying and felling the impact of the cold cement. I closed my eyes, and fear lept into my throat, and I blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

My day in the beginning wasn't that bad honestly. Just another day of my junior year at High School: Geometry, Art History, Archery (Mom's idea for that one), AP English, Mythology (also Mom's idea), Latin (that was both my Mom's and Dad's idea), Creative writing, AP chemistry, all that good stuff. The fall dance was coming up and that the jerk turned giant cyclops baseball, jerk star Jeremy, wanted to ask me out.

And I said no: Because the guy was a jerk even before he turned into a monster and his appearance doesn't even begin to show what he's really like. I mean come on! Jeremy and his side kick Jack bully the smaller kids and flirt with all the girls! Jerks, way beyond what you think. So yeah!

But honestly I didn't expect for him to grow five feet taller, and swing his bat at my head, then a satyr coming out of nowhere getting me into a van, a elephant to lion, the blonde, the van flipping over and over and over, and over and over and over, and over, running, and then flying!

But anyway, I blacked out, then:

Falling... Dark … A dream

Voices:

Loud booming male voice: "YOU BROKE YOUR VOW?!"

soft, cold female voice: "I vowed to be a maiden, and if I recall you made a vow with Hera and you hardly _ever_ have any children with her."

Male voice but this time not yelling: "This is not about me young one. You and your brother kept this affair from us for how long?"

Female voice: "About eighteen years."

The male voice: "We will be convening a council to discuss this matter: I hope you are willing to accept the consequences."

I could somehow feel the tension between the two voice, I swear I could cut it with a knife if I had one.

Female voice: "I have a feeling you won't take this out on me."

I woke with a start, as my heart jumped. I gasped and quickly sat up, surprised that I was even alive. That's when I noticed my surroundings. I looked down and saw that I was out of my school uniform and in jeans and a t-shirt, an a orange t-shirt that read, "CAMP HALF-BLOOD".

"What is that?" I wondered

I looked around the room: It was like a half sun room half an actual room, I was lying on a cot that was in the sun room half where other cots were situated. I sighed and relaxed as the sun warmed me up. I turned my head and peered into the part that was an actual room: It was darker that the sun room but I saw whoa,

"Hello!"

Well that guy in the rainbow appeared out of nowhere, rolling up in his wheelchair. Then I new that what happened wasn't a dream, or maybe it was a hallucination and this guy was like a doctor or something. Now quite honestly as he rolled up in his wheelchair that song, _"White and Nerdy"_ came into my brain, and I have no idea why, so don't ask.

_They see me rollin' they hatin'_

"Hello." I replied shyly.

The guy called Chiron parked his wheelchair and asked how I felt.

"Good I guess."

"Well I'm glad to hear that." He smiled and then he bowed slightly, "My name is Chiron and I'm the activities Director here at Camp Half-Blood."

"Camp Half-Blood what is that?"

"Ah! The million dollar question! This is where the demigods reside and are safe."

"Demigods?" I gasped at the realization, "The Greek gods are real?!" I paused again and thought. Oh my gosh!  
"_I'm_ a demigod?"

"I'm afraid so." Chiron confirmed, "How do you know so much?"

"My Mom, she and my Dad wanted me to take mythology and Mom coaxed me to make it my junior theses. So yeah..." I shrugged again.

"Wait, how old are you?" Chiron asked.

"17." I replied.

"Hmmm." Chiron stroked his beard, slowly and looked at me as if to figure me out.

Then the door burst open and a blonde guy in bronze armor and bow in hand burst in yelling, "HEY OH!" Chiron almost literally jumped out of his wheelchair, which suddenly occurred to me shouldn't he be a centaur? But I didn't have a chance to ask as Chiron spoke with the guy who burst in, "Darren E. Lowry what are you doing here?"

"I heard that there could be a possible Apollo kids 'cause she was rhyming and I came right over to give her the tour of la camp."  
"I sent for Annabeth to give the tour, she more qualified and Hannah had already seen her."  
"On the battle field!" He leaned over to me and said, "Trust me no one wants to see her angry on the battle field." He stood straight again, "Sir, if I may, if she's a possible Apollo kid I'd like to give the tour. If not she needs to make more friends than just the "heroes of the world"." He said, I could hear some resentment in his voice

Chiron sighed and placed his arm on the rest of the wheelchair, "Very well." Chiron turned to me and asked with simple sincerity if I was ok to get up and move around.  
I nodded slowly and slowly got up from my cot. Chiron smiled and wished us a happy day and wheeled himself out of there.

For a moment we just stood there alone then, Darren suggested that we leave, and we walked out of the hospital and walked down the dirt path. Darren pointing and explaining things.

"That's the big house, that's were the infirmary but where you were taken was the latest addition to camp since the war. Most cabins helped in building the new hospital Athena's cabin designed it with the help of Apollo's cabin, and Hephaestus cabin built it."

I nodded my head and listened to Darren, but then I thought about that statement, "_the war_" he had said, "What war are you talking about?" I asked.

He looked at me and smiled, "The war with everyone, Romans, even Mother Earth, after that war, we all agreed that we needed a separate space for medical attention."

I nodded, "That makes sense."

We kept on walking causally passing the arenas and my eyes lit up when I saw the archery grounds. "OH MY GOSH! YOU HAVE ARCHERY HERE?!"  
Darren chuckled, "Why wouldn't we?"  
"I ABSOLUTLY LOVE ARCHERY!"  
"Rhyming, and loves archery? I don't know what they are talking about you might just as well be an Apollo kid."

I caught that remark like it was an actual arrow, not that I don't think being a daughter of Apollo would be bad, but that didn't sound like me. "Darren, I have a confession to make." He looked at me and I just looked ahead at the road, "The rhyming isn't something I don't do naturally. My Uncle and I when I was upset we'd rhyme random things, and it made it better."

"You close to your uncle?"

I nodded, "Somewhat I guess, he comes and visits. He checks up on me when my Mom is gone."

"Who is your Dad by the way?"

"He's a traveling musician, I go to a boarding school cause he's on tour most of the time."

"Kinda sounds like Dad to me." Darren commented, "He's the god of anything that requires some talent, like music and such."  
"I know." I replied, "Mom convinced me to study mythology."

"Hrm. So both of your parents are usually not around."

I nodded, "Yeah."

Then I heard something and alarm bells rang in my head clear as day.

"GET DOWN!" I shouted and quickly tackled Darren to the ground as the arrow whizzed pass my head sending some of my hair flying behind it. I held close for a second and then the alarm bells subsided and then, really without even thinking about it I pushed myself up from Darren's chest and looked up, and saw the arrow point down stuck in the ground.

Hoof beats and footsteps were coming our direction, and I looked down at Darren and instantly I felt myself blush. "Sorry about that!" A familiar voice said, I quickly jumped off of Darren and dusted myself off and turned around and well, let's just say I was right about Chiron being half horse. Everyone else began to come on the hill with us. "A new archer misfired."

Darren rose as the other campers surrounded us, my guess that there were some Aphrodite kids somewhere in the mix because they were already exchanging amounts of cash to each other, probably betting whether or not Darren and I were a future couple.

I always wanted someone to blame my love life on and now I had it and I was positive the kids were just as fun. (Sarcasm of course)

"You guys ok?" One of the campers asked.

We looked at each other for a second and then quickly looked away, "Yes." I said weakly under the blanket of more blushing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Since I wasn't officially claimed yet, so I had to stay in the Hermes cabin which, the guys whistling saying that I had a blessing of Aphrodite, all the STINKIN' TIME. The Stoll brothers were nice enough but still tricksters. They gave me a sleeping bag and a pillow and a little space for me to sleep in. The girls well, still tricksters and let's just say while I was dreaming, they plotted my demise.

But my dream was important, Darren said something about demigod dreams: They're horrible.

I saw the moon it was full, the crisp air around me chilled my bones. Then I saw something in the moon and descending fast. It was a little dot at first, but as it came closer I could see a person it came closer the person was holding something close in their arms protecting it gently. As the person now young woman, came down I heard a noise as if it was an atom bomb coming down rather than this woman. The woman hit the ground and the atom bomb landed. The ground shattered against her landing, cracking against her force.

The woman cradled something in her arms, the woman stopped for a moment and checked the cradled object in her arms. Then it suddenly hit me, "Mom?" I tried to whisper but my mouth seemed to be taped shut. I heard the babble of a baby in her arms and Mom tickled the baby's chin, and then looked behind her and began to run with swift movements.

She ran passed me and my hair seemed to want to fly with her. I felt a slight night breeze blowing against me, my legs worked themselves and I chased after Mother. She kept running, I heard some howling and screeching behind us, I didn't know what it was but fear rose in the pit of my stomach, these things that we were running from were threatening to say the least. But mom kept running, she didn't fight she just ran.

Then she met someone at the edge of a Forrest. I recognized him instantly, "Uncle?" My mouth refused to work. My Uncle came out of his relaxed state, and came to receive Mother. "They're still after her."  
My Uncle opened his arms to receive the baby, but mom hesitated, she raised the baby to her face. The little baby laughed as it reached for it's mother's face, Mom offered her finger instead and whispered something to the baby and kissed the baby on the forehead. I heard Mother sniff a little, she pulled her finger away from the baby and carefully handed the baby to my Uncle. "Be careful brother."

My Uncle nodded solemnly, "I will."  
"Make sure you get her to her Father. She'll be safer with him."  
My Uncle only nodded again, he turned to leave, but Mother called after him, "Please brother make sure she'll be ok."  
"I'll make sure personally." He said, "And who knows you might be able to see her someday."  
Mother only stared blankly as if she didn't believe it, "Go brother before they find you, I'll lead them away from you."

My Uncle nodded and turned and ran.

I heard the baby cry, I felt myself cry, not like crying with them, no I felt the exact crying from the baby as if I was the one crying. I felt it, I felt everything, the warmth from my uncle's arms, the chill of the night chair against my face, the tears rolling down my cheeks. I began to break down, now my body finally listened to me as I broke down.  
"Mom." I wept out loud.

Even though I knew my mother, I only knew form the small times we saw each other each year, and I couldn't be with her more only because... I completely broke down . I spilled my own tears, I felt my lungs heave for air.

I screamed, sitting straight up and the girls of Hermes cabin backed away. It took a only second to gather as I looked at my hand filled with shaving scream and I quickly smashed the cream in the face of the girls That felt good to know that their prank failed. Everyone else who wasn't involved laughed their heads off. I smiled myself then I noticed a little girl with a sleeping bag that was watching quietly and somewhat nervously, but she kept to herself, and I looked away, remembering my dream.

MAH


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

THUMP

I hit my target.

It was late morning and the sun was already bright and high. It was Saturday, there were no classes or training, it was a leisure day. Thank the gods for the weekends. I pulled my bowstring back.

THUMP

Right on target again. After last night I wanted to get away, from everyone. Word of last night spread like wildfire, and I didn't listen to the rumors or anything but my new friend Darren kept feeding what he had. So much for being alone right?  
"That is so awesome how you quietly woke up during the night and found out about their plan and just totally smeared their faces with the shaving cream!"

He pulled back his own bow and shot an arrow, and he hit his target on the nose. I readiued my own bow and remarked, "You know Darren-" I paused to finished my aim and then I let my arrow fly.

THUMP

"You remember that differently than I do."

"It was cool anyway." Darren shot his arrow and his arrow his his target. I shot my own arrow and walked up to the target to retrieve the training arrows. Darren walked up to his own target and pulled out his arrows and checked them over and then he looked at me, "You wanna have a contest?" He asked with a grin.

I nodded, "Sure."

We stood behind the line and aimed together, then someone came up from behind and shouted, "FIRE!" My arrow flew and hit my target on the nose, so did Darren's. I turned around and saw a tall 6 foot blonde hair blue eyed kid, smiling down at me. Hey I'm average sized but this guy was tall! Darren walked up and introduced us, "Hannah Batson this is Will Solace he's the leader of the Apollo cabin."  
I head my hand out to shake and Will gently took it, "And my guess is that you're the new kid." We let our hands go.  
"Yeah that's me."

Will chuckled to himself as he picked up his own bow and walked over to the front of the line, "That's awesome how you got those Hermes kids. Planned it the whole time huh?"  
I was confused again, I didn't know what on earth he was talking about.

But I didn't get the chance to ask because Will moved on, "I also hear that you are a possible Apollo kid." He readied his bow, "You wanna compete and find out? I am the best."

I didn't even think and instantly replied, "Yeah let's do it!"

Darren happily clapped his hands together, "All right! First person to miss the bull's eye looses!"

Will smiled and picked up a golden arrow and notched it in his bow. I picked up the regular celestial bronze tipped one and waited.  
Darren decided to make the calls, "Ready!"  
We readied our bows, "AIM!"

You wouldn't have to tell me twice. My eyes focus and my arms aimed accordingly.  
"FIRE!"

My fingers let the string go and the arrow flew.

TH-THUMP

Both arrows hit their target.

"Bull's eyes!" Darren declared.

"Again?" Will asked me. 

"Sure." I replied. We readied our bows and fired again.

Now I won't go into details, cause this match went on FOREVER. I mean like it passed lunch and it was long enough for pretty much EVERYONE in the camp was watching and already making bets. One group was led by the Apollo cabin saying that Will was going to win, then the other group, led by the Hermes cabin said I was going to win. But I will skip down the last match.

"Both are bull's eyes!" Darren declared.

Will and I looked at each other, yeah I knew we both were getting bored of this, even though we love the sport but just doing the same thing all day is not exactly how I wanted to spend my weekend. "If this is a tie again, can we please call it a draw?"  
Will smiled, "Sure."

Darren smiled, "READY!" I readied my bow, then everything slowed down. I felt something in the pit of my stomach and it wasn't because I missed lunch. I felt something, it was warm but it felt like _the moon_.

"AIM!" Darren's voice seemed so far away but it didn't matter. I aimed accordingly hopeful for loss, but I just don't like giving up on something.  
"FIRE!" As Darren yelled fire I saw a flash of silver! I didn't take a second to find out where it came from and let go of the string and

THUNK! Tunk.

My arrow hit the bull's eye, I looked over at Will's and it was off a few rings. Will chuckled as he looked at the target, "That flash threw me off." He then turned to me and his jaw almost dropped, "Hannah you're glowing silver!"

Everyone turned their heads and looked at me.  
"She looks like one of the Hunters of Artemis!" A camper declared.

I looked at my hands and looked at the aurora shrouding my hands. The kids gasped again as I heard something that sounded like rain.

They're attention was suddenly diverted above my head.  
"Oh my gods!" One camper shouted.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

I looked up and from where I was standing I could make out a crescent moon with a stag in the middle.

Will broke the silence, "Behold! The Daughter of Artemis! Lady of the Moon, Hunt, Virginity, Newborn Creatures, and Guardian of Childbirth!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

I couldn't hardly believe it. I laid there on my cot very lonely, compared to the Hermes cabin, this was like I don't maybe, like solitary confinement. Which I disliked more than a slightly overcrowded cabin. It was too quiet with just me there, for me if it's quiet there's something wrong. I flinched at every noise as I tried to sleep but I promise Hypnos must have taken pity on me cause I eventually fell sleep.

Man I knew I was going to have a dream and I fell asleep anyway!

But in this dream I saw my Uncle, which Darren and I figured out it was Apollo, and my Mom in the throne room for the gods. Every god was sitting in their chair and Apollo and Artemis were somewhat arguing, "You can flash my kid with a blessing of yours! We both know that _I _am the better archer."

My mother gave her brother a glare, she didn't give any explanations.  
Uncle Apollo put his hands up and sat back in his chair, "Hey, whatever."

"Children." Hera broke in sternly.

Artemis and Apollo fell silent, and sat quietly on their thrones. Hera turned her head to her husband Zeus.

Then Hades stood began to speak, "Speaking of the child:" he paused and looked at Artemis, "The child is a product of a broken vow."

Artemis only stared silently at Hades then at her Father, I could see an argument brewing in her brain, that was the same look that that got me into Latin, Greek Mythology, and Archery.

"This is a severe crime against our ways, and the child is dangerous, and Artemis must be punished as she swore on the Styx never to be with a man." Hades continued

The gods chatted amongst themselves as Apollo and Artemis stayed quiet.

"What are you proposing?" Artemis coldly asked her eyes glaring still.

Zeus took a tighter grip on his staff,

Hades smiled as he continued, "Like any child who does something wrong they must be put away until they learn." Hades paused and glanced around the room, "I move that Artemis be imprisoned until further notice for her break, and the child be destroyed."

"Zeus! That is not fair!"

"You will not address me in that manner!"

At that everyone stood up and started to argue, only Artemis sat in her chair only staring at her Father who was also sitting in his own chair. Apollo, did his best to defend Artemis. In her heart Artemis knew what had to be done, she quickly stood and shouted, "ENOUGH!" Everyone fell to silence, "I will take the consequences Hades has proposed, but only on one condition is that you let my daughter live."

Zeus looked at the other Olympians they didn't say anything, but Apollo stepped forward, "Are you sure?"

Artemis only raised her head to give her answer. Then Zeus raised his staff and hit it against the ground and sparks began to fly, "Then it is settled: Artemis, as Zeus head of the council, you are hereby stripped of your Olympian title, and your goddess status and imprisoned until further notice."

Then something happened a silvery essence came from her and rested in a orb in Zeus' hand. Artemis slowly began to shrink and lost her goddess stature. She became the height or a regular mortal, but she still had a great stare as guards came around her and secured her. Apollo came down to her and asked if he could do anything.

"Send my Hunters to the Camp," She paused before they took her away, "and relay to my daughter that I love her." The doors opened from the council room and Artemis was lead away.

My eyes slowly opened, but I heard those Olympian sized doors close, the thundering doors ringed in my brain. I sat up and put my fingers to my temples and closed my eyes. I wished it could be fake but then I heard a horn coming with the high morning light.

I had slept in?

I quickly threw my sheets off of my and quickly slipped into my jeans and slightly dingy Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, and threw my hair into a long pony tail and ran out the cabin. Other campers came flooding to the entrance, Chiron parted the crowd and I got a chance to look ahead. I saw a large tropp of similar clothed girls, and one guy that really looked out of place with them. The girls all wore silvery clothing and trinkets and all carried bows and arrows: in short they were like mystical human moons or something. Then there was the guy, he had an outrageous leopard skinned tunic that really hurt my eyes to see.

They walked up, all looking somewhat distressed. The leopard tunic guy, I guessed was Dionysus, was grumbling about something as he was sipping on a can of Diet Coke. "Mr. D! Glad to see you back!" Chiron then turned to the girls, "And this is a pleasant surprise: Welcome Hunters of Artemis!"  
My ears perked up at the mention of my mother's name and I craned my neck. All of the Hunters seemed to be in distress and seemed like they had been crying. "What can we thank for this visit?" Chiron asked. One of the girls that seemed to be the leader looked up at Chiron and replied, "Let's discuss that inside."

Chrion nodded and turned to the rest of the campers, "As apart of tradition there will be a game of Capture the Flag! Please return to your regularly scheduled classes!" The campers quickly dispersed, but I just stood there, Chiron and the Hunters walked together. Mr. D ( figured out that it was some sort of nickname for Dionysus) chugged on his Diet Coke and just walked off on his own.

Chiron stopped when he saw me and I felt the urge to walk up, Chiron quickly turned the the leader of the Hunters, "Thalia this is Hannah, she's the recently claimed Daughter of Artemis." Thalia stiffened and her eyes just zeroed in on me. "Hannah this is Thalia, she's the second in command of The Hunters of Artemis."  
I offered my hand to shake, "Hi Thalia! Pleasure to meet you."  
She refused to shake my hand and just looked up at Chiron, "Can we please get down to business?" She asked and her voice nearly cracked.

Chiron nodded, "Yes. Let's go into my office." He turned back to me and smiled, "Will you excuse us Hannah?"

I nodded and gave a weak smile, "Yes sir." and trotted away.

I really wanted to slip into the shadows now, fear was rising in my throat as things I saw in my dreams were really happening. Darren said that demigod dreams were scary not real! In my dream Mom sent The Hunters here or at least she told Apollo to send them, and now they were here! Then that Thalia girl looked like she had been crying and treated me rudely. I figure if my dream was right, she'd resent me because I got her "arrested" in a sense. Then this whole situation would be all my fault. Isn't that horrible? So I ran for my cabin to be alone.

"Hey Hannah!"

Darren somehow caught me before I could hide in the cabin

Before I could disappear into my cabin Darren grabbed my arm. I turned around but I didn't look him in the eyes. Darren noticed, "Hey what's up?"

I bit my lip so I wouldn't spill my guts, I wished I could be like my mother: un-readable. Darren smiled mischievously, he pulled on my arm, "Come I know a place where we can talk alone."

I reluctantly followed.

Well we ended up in the attic of the creepy house, everyone else called it The Big House. "No one ever really comes up here," Darren explained, "Nowhere else really to go with all the Dryads and Naiads everywhere."

The air was musty, and congested. I hated that, I like the open air, that and in this place there's plenty a chance for an ambush. I hated that feeling.

"All right." Darren said as he pulled out two retro ottomans out from the corner of the attic. He patted the one obviously for me and a puff of dust omitted into the air. Darren coughed as he sat in his chair, "Come and **(cough** **cough)** sit down and (_**cough**_) tell me everything." I sat down stiff as a board, hands on my lap eyes wide.

Darren coughed a couple more times, then he noticed my posture and laughed, "You can chill out Hannah. Or I'll have to get Boreas to cool you off."  
I sighed and relaxed but I took a soft grip on the sides of the ottoman and began to spill my guts about the dream.

When I was finished, Darren sighed, "So Thalia probably thinks that it's all your fault?"  
"She's not the only one." I mumbled.  
"Well technically it's not your fault for existing, Hannah. That responsibility would fall on your parents, your Mother was just trying to protect you from the other Olympians."

I sighed, "I guess that makes sense."

"I would have said to tell Chiron but he's probably going to hear the account from The Hunters themselves."  
"But the dream had to be of some significance!"

"True."

Just then my alarms went off again and something black came out from a corner and tackled me to the ground. I struggled against the imp it was as black as a shadow and big yellow eyes, as it held me in a death grip. Then I make the mistake of looking it in the eyes, it opened it's mouth and I literally felt my soul being pulled out of me. I screamed and moaned, helpless to do anything.

I heard the zing of a blade and Darren yelled and stabbed the shadow in the back and it dissolved away and my body relaxed. I breathed slowly and blankly stared at the wall. Darren turned my over on my back, "You ok?"  
That's when I screamed my head off, my mind now catching up to everything. "What was that!?"  
"I, I, I don't know." Darren replied.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

I sat on a cot as a healer from the Apollo cabin looked me over. Chiron stood in his horse form as Darren relayed all the details.  
"There's nothing in the texts or even anything that _I_ remember of anything of that nature." Chiron commented as he stroked his beard. "I doubt that anyone else will know about this."

"Yeah and don't say it was just apart of my imagination either." I said as the medic started to fret because of my movements, "Hold still!"

That's a mistake to tell me, I can hardly sit still for the doctor or dentist, I am not going to sit still now. I pushed the medic away and got up from my cot. "Now what is going on!" I demanded, "Where is my Mother!"

In my heart I knew but I had to know for sure.  
"She has been-" Chiron explained, "put under house arrest. She has been stripped of her Olympian title, and her powers have diminished, and the responsibilities have been passed to other god for the time being: mainly Apollo."

Darren mumbled to himself.

"What can we do?"  
Chiron glanced at Mr. D as Mr. D was just doing his own thing, then he looked back at me, "The gods gave strict instructions _**NOT **_ to interfere. So we'll just go on as normal."  
I was about to fire some furious remark but the fire simmered down and I just replied, "Ok." My fist clenched and I asked through my teeth, "May I be excused?"

Chiron nodded, and I quickly hurried outside, and I vented my frustrations by yelling and throwing my arms in any direction I wished. Call it a tantrum, but I was M-A-D.

"Hey!" I turned and saw Darren walking up. I knew there must have been a fire in my eyes cause Darren seemed slightly afraid of me. "Calm down!"  
"How can I _be_ calm!"

Just then, even though I didn't exactly _feel_ "cute and cuddly" a bunch of squirrels and other small animals, that are generally shy around people just swarmed around me. I frowned and just steamed while Darren was holding in a chorus of laughter. I growled and shooed the creatures off of me, but they just stayed at my feet. I growled in frustration and stomped away with my animal entourage following behind me. Darren didn't attempt to follow me, but I heard him laughing.

I stomped to the woods, but before I could get lost like I _really _wanted too a girl stopped me.

"Hello!" I turned and saw a average height girl with braided hair and feathers. She looked somewhat Native American, she was defiantly darker than I was. She carried a load of clothes in her arms, "My name is Piper, and I'm the cabin leader for Aphrodite." 

"Oh the goddess of complication, confusion, and heartbreak?"

Piper laughed, "Yeah I guess you could say that, but be careful when you say that, it can attract my mother and then really do some damage."  
"I doubt it can get any worse in my love life."  
"Ah, you have no idea." Piper replied, "Anyway, on behalf of the Aphrodite cabin we gathered some clothes cause yours were destroyed."  
I offered my arms to drop the clothes on, "Thanks."  
Piper gave the clothes to me, "I heard about your Mother and I'm sorry."  
"Yeah we're all sorry."

I backtracked to the cabins and Piper followed.  
"So what's it like being a daughter of a goddess that mess people's life up?"  
"What did I tell you earlier?"  
"Right sorry."

"Well we do get the rap fro couples' relationships that end horribly but my siblings like to ship things."

I glanced over my shoulder, "You don't?"  
"I don't worry myself over that kind of stuff."  
"Yeah I wouldn't either." I chuckled to myself.  
I finally came up to the cabins and Piper snapped her fingers, "Oh I forgot something!"  
I turned around and asked what it was. She only told me to stay there and she disappeared into the Aphrodite cabin. I stood there for about all of maybe 20 seconds, and Piper came back out carrying a belt that had a sheathed.

"Chiron told me to give you this."  
"Why?"

"I didn't ask." Piper put the belt and hunting knife ontop of the clothes pile I had in my arms, "Enjoy!"  
She smiled as she waved good bye, "Oh! See you at Capture the Flag!"  
"See you!" I replied, and I went into my cabin.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

I looked at the clothes, not much but cute, I guess. They gave me a black jacket with different zipper pockets along the arms, a sky blue v-neck t-shirt with a very small spaghetti stain on the sleeve. Then there was a forest green long sleeve plain shirt. Blue jeans and knee high slightly worn boots. Apparently some of these Aphrodite kids do not wear their clothes twice.

I quickly jumped into the jeans and layered the blue shirt on top of the green and threw on the jacket. I looked in the mirror and I swear I saw my Mom in the mirror instead of me. No not like I was so much like her that I practically was her, no this was Mom. She lifted her hand to the mirror, I lifted my own hand as if to try and touch her. Our hands met together but the mirror seemed to separate us, "Save the Olympians." She whispered.  
"Yes Mom!" I cried out, "How?"

The image of my mother began to fade and disappear, "Mom!?"  
Before she completely vanished she replied, "Be ready."  
"MOM!"

It completely faded away. "Mom!"

"Be ready." Her voice whispered again.

_Later that night..._

As you might imagine there must have been some argument as to what team I would play on. Well Thalia, and some of the other Hunters, hate my guts and hated me for the literal fact for existing. Then there was a technically that this game was against the campers and the hunters: technically I wasn't a hunter well I'm just not a hunter. So I was with team Camp Half-Blood.

A girl named Annabeth from Athena's cabin was devising the strategy while another girl named Clarisse from Ares cabin was trying her hardest to get Annabeth to go with her strategy.  
"Come on! Make this simple: post a couple of guards to the flag and send everyone else into distract the Hunters and then send Ares to get the flag!" Clarisse complained.

Annabeth wasn't very good at listening obviously, "Let's use each cabin for their gifts: Percy, Iris Cabin, Aphrodite, you guys are going to draw the hunters to the lake side. Do anything to grab their attention." A guy with dark hair and sea green eyes gave a smirk and a leisure salute and replied with a smirk on his face, "Sure thing Wise Girl."  
Annabeth ignored him, "Dionysus you draw the Hunters out to the other side of the woods."  
"Party on the west side!" One kid replied

"Now to the defenses! Hecate: you will guard the border, control the mist make it hard to see for them. Next layer: Hephaestus, use anything that _won't_ kill them."

"Aww man!" My attention was diverted to a bunch of kids with greasy clothing as one guy with curly brown locks and a large tool belt stomped the ground, "That makes it less fun!"  
"Killing someone?" A camper asked.

The guy put out his arm and waved his hand, "Pish, naw! Just the thought that you _could_ be killed raises the steaks!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and looked back at her map, "Hypnos you'll be behind them, put them to sleep. But make sure we'll be able to wake them when the game is over."  
Annabeth continued, "Aphrodite, I'm counting on you guys to push them back with whatever you can use. Unclaimed kids you need to fool them where the flag is and lead them away as much as possible. I need a few volunteers from my cabin, Ares, and Hermes to stay behind to help with the defenses." Annabeth looked up and waited for the volunteers, a couple from each cabin raised their hands.  
"Alright. To the offensive: Ares, Apollo, Athena our job is to create a gap large enough for Hermes to get through and steal the flag."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Annabeth looked around the team of campers, "Did I leave anyone out?"  
I looked around for a second and shyly raised my hand.  
"Oh yes Hannah! You'll be guarding the flag." Annabeth's attention returned to the whole group, "Everyone got it?"

We all nodded our heads. Annabeth then turned to Clarisse and smiled, "Lead on the offensive!"  
Clarisse smiled, and sheathed her sword and raised it high, "FOR CAMP HALF-BLOOD!" The Ares cabin joined in her in her battle cry and so did others for the fun of it. I leaned to Darren who was beside me, "Wow you guys really take this seriously."  
Darren laughed, "We've never won against The Hunters before."

"We haven't?"

Before Darren ran off with his siblings he playfully punched my shoulder and shouted, "Good luck!" as he ran into the forest, and before I knew it I was alone. The torches went out and I was in the dark. But a strange thing happened and I could see in the dark, not like night vision. No like it was dark but I could see anything and everything. I didn't time to marvel at this and quickly climbed up a tree. I stopped up at the highest branch that would hold me, (which was seriously high but this time heights didn't bother me), and just waited.

Well being up a tree was boring! I turned on my back and stared into the night sky, the stars were few cause of the camp's lighting, but it was still pretty. I stared at the moon and I was reminded of Mom again. _"Be ready"_ She had warned me. Ready for what?

"Hannah Batson?"

At this point I was in a slight balancing act on a branch, and hearing my name by someone who was directly behind me, scared the living daylights out of me. Which in turn made me fall out of my perch, and plummet to the ground.

Then a body appeared beside me and then suddenly caught me, "We can't have you fall to death can we?"  
He, yes I had determined that this was a guy, floated down to the ground and gently set my feet on the ground. I was able to see him fully now, and this was a legit mailman that just saved me! Let me tell you this now: The Demigod life is weird. The guy tipped his mailman cap, "Hermes Messenger of the gods, and the god that has anything to do with a road. I have a package," He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a long rectangular package, "for a," he stared at the white tag on it, "Hannah Batson."

He looked at me, "You're Hannah Batson correct?"  
I nodded, "Yes I am."  
He whipped out a clipboard and handed it to me with a pen, "Sign here please." He said pointing to a dotted line. I quickly jotted down my name and I handed the clipboard back to him. Hermes smiled and replied, "Good deal." the clipboard went up in a puff of smoke and it transformed into his caduceus thing, and he handed me the package. "Have a good day Miss Batson." He tipped his hat again and started to glow. The glowing intensified, and he added, "Oh you might want to look away if you don't want to disintegrate!" I took his advise, and blocked my eyes with my arm. Then a flash of light, and he was gone.

My eyes adjusted to the dark, and I quickly clamored up my tree again and perched on a high branch. I saw an envelope on the package, and gently tore it off the box. "_Hannah Batson_" It read. Yeah I can probably read in the dark, but the writing seemed to have been written in liquid sun or shimmering gold. I opened the envelope and began to read the letter

_Ok, here's the deal:_

_As you probably know your Mother (my sister) is in "goddess time out" I totally wish I could crash the epic game of Capture the Flag, but thanks to the recent grounding that happened I have to drive both the sun AND the moon across the sky. But anyway I think this whole deal was put together by Hades._

But here's what I need you to do for the time being: open the box-"

I pulled out my hunting knife that I got from Piper and very extremely very quietly cut the tape, and opened the box. Inside was a set of bow and arrows, there were silver and engraved with different markings, it was silver and it glowed like the moon. I easily recognized them as Mom's. I dared to touch them but my hand jerked back. I looked back to the note:

_Yes they are your Mother's. They were taken from her 'cause well you get the picture. But a certain god of thieves that just happened to be sympathetic to our cause took it off of Hades' hands. Anyway take these and two other demigods, that you KNOW you can trust, and go to a small town in Louisiana called "Oak Grove" meet me at the ice cream shop in town in four days. Oh and walk up to Rachel the oracle and she'll give you a prophecy for your quest. DO NOT TELL ANYONE about this quest other than the two that are coming with you. I do not know all that are on our side. So be careful.  
Bring the letter with you as well._

Signed,

_Apollo_

I looked back at the box, "Ok what do I do with the extras?" I then touched the bow and it suddenly turned to mist, and I jumped back as the mist traveled up my arms and came to my back. It covered my quiver (the little bag that whole the arrows) and the next thing I knew I didn't just have a training bow and arrows, it was my Mother's set. I smiled and took my mother's silver bow in my hands. Then I looked back at the moon, "I miss you mother."

Then my alarms went off, I heard a rustling as the wind picked up. My eyes darted around listening for someone. But these were hunters: they were trained by Artemis for perhaps thousands of years! Oh cow, I might be in more trouble and this wasn't even real combat. Yikes, and I was already on they're bad side. I crouched like a panther on my branch and peered over the side and watched the flag. A lone hunter came in the clearing. I looked closer and I recognized that it was Thalia. I pulled a shaft out of my quiver and readied my bow.

Thalia looked around surveying the immediate area. She didn't even think about looking up at me, but once she thought she was safe she reached for the flag. I fired my bow and it silently sailed through the air and it caught on Thalia's shirt and the pull was so strong that I pinned her to a tree. I quickly jumped to another tree and pulled another arrow out of my quiver and shot another arrow and ended up pinning Thalia's other arm. I disappeared into another tree and I saw Thalia looking around the trees to find me. I stayed in the shadows waiting for her move. Then my alarms kicked in again as I heard something. This time it wasn't for a game, but for real, I sensed something evil coming. I pulled out another shaft and readied my bow scanning the immediate area.

Then a someone in a hood and cloak came into the clearing. Thalia looked at her, "Who are you?!" She demanded. The person in the hood said nothing. I lept from my spot in the tree and tumbled on the ground and stood up pointing my bow at the person in the hood. Thalia saw me and I saw her eyes had both rage for pinning her, and thankfulness for help. "You heard her," I said, "Who are you?" The person turned and, yes it was a girl, that was African American, and had cinnamon colored curly hair peeking out of the hood. Even under the darkness of the hood I could see her face but I couldn't tell what eye color she had, she smiled. She then quickly grabbed Thalia by the neck and melted into the shadows. It was so quick I couldn't even get my shot off.

When they were gone I just stared in disbelief. I put my hand to my head and tried to figure out what just happened. Then I ears picked up a cry for help, it sounded like that kid that wanted to raise the steaks to make this game more fun. I hurried into the woods and saw columns of fire bursting from, the guy! "HAZEL I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COME OVER YOU-!" He shouted. I came close, the guy pulled out a wrench out from his tool belt, and swung it around him in a circle.

I readied my bow again and tried to fire at an invisible enemy. "Hey!" I shouted.  
The guy turned to me, "Hey new girl!"

I joined up with him, "Back to back!" I shouted.

He grinned and we protected each other's back. "The name's Leo." he replied.

I kept my aim up, "Hannah. Who is this Hazel?"

"A friend of mine." Leo replied.

"What she look like?" I asked, my eyes still searching for an enemy.  
"Black, has golden eye, and cinnamon curly hair, but she was wearing this cloak I never saw her wear before."

I gasped, "She just took Thalia!"

"What? That doesn't sound like her."

I looked over my shoulder, "She did just attack you."  
"Tou-"

Leo sentence was cut short and I no longer felt the heat of someone behind me. I turned around and found that Leo was gone! 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

I started then to freak out, "LEO?!" I called out. No one answered, a squirrel came up to me and chittered away and offered me a nut, but then scurried away. Then I heard a conch shell blow in the direction of the Big House.

I ran up to the Big House where Chiron and Mr. D were standing and shouted, "Leo and Thalia were taken!" I kept repeating until Mr. D stopped me, "Vanna! STOP IT!"  
I glared at him, "It's Hannah."

"Whatever."

The other campers started to crowd around the porch of the Big House and all started talking and asking questions and wondered where the heck some people were.  
"Children!" Chiron addressed the demi's, "Do not panic, send your cabin leaders inside for a meeting: if your cabin leader is missing please send in the second of your cabin. The rest of you please retire to your cabins and try to rest."

Everyone slowly trickled away, I went away too and then my Uncle's request shot into my mind. I pulled out the note from my jacket. I looked at it then I glanced around the area and spotted Darren. I ran, "Darren!"

Darren turned around, "What's up?" He said with a half grin. I could tell he was upset. "Darren pack your things: we're leaving."  
"Wait what?"

"Just meet me behind my cabin when you're ready."

I turned form him and started walking to my cabin, and then I felt my jacket being tugged. I looked down and saw a small girl with long black hair covering her eyes. She was the cabin Hermes, she was slept in a sleeping bag across from me. "Hi!" I said with a smile.  
She hung really close to me and mumbled something into my jacket. I knelt down to her, "What is it?"  
The girl didn't look me in the eyes and she whimpered when she spoke, "Please take me with you."  
I hardly could deny this girl, I tried to look into her eyes but she kept on looking away. "What's your name?"  
"Lilly McWish." She whispered.  
I smiled, "Well Miss McWish if you want to come pack your things and meet me and my friend Darren behind the Artemis cabin."  
"Okay." Before she could run off, I tried to look her in the eyes, "Lilly don't tell anyone where you're going ok?"  
This time she looked at me directly and I saw violet eyes underneath that hair, were those real? Lilly smiled, "Ok!" and she dashed off.

I scratched my head, and wondered about those eyes. But I turned quickly to my cabin and quickly packed what little I had. But the Hunters in the cabin were curious to say the least. "What are you doing?" One asked.  
"Packing."  
"For what?" Another asked suspiciously.

"Camping in the woods. I need the fresh air."

One of the Hunters crossed her arms, "You can't the woods are off limits."  
I grinned, "Maybe the ground, but I prefer trees."

Then one of them happened to recognized the bow and arrows. She took the liberty, "What is this?!" She demanded. She shoved the bow in my face to make sure I saw it.  
"Uhhh." I really didn't want to answer that question, and this already looked back.  
"Are you in cahoots with the other gods locking Artemis up and then you get her bow?!"

"If anything Thalia should get her bow for being loyal-"

"Where is Thalia anyway?"

They all looked at me, "I heard that you were guarding the flag, and Thalia was going to get it."

Another girl walked up to me trying to scare me. "Where is Thalia?!" She barked. I tried my best not to be intimidated.  
"I don't know!" I exclaimed. It was the truth.

"LIAR!" The girl shouted. Now this hunter was tall, and she had dark brown hair similar to mine but lighter, and she had fiery green eyes that bore down into me. "TELL US WHERE SHE IS YOU LITTLE-" she called me a name which I do not wish to repeat.  
"I told you I don't know!"  
"LIAR!" Her fist flew and slammed directly into my jaw. I fell to the ground gasping for air. Pain shot up as I moved my jaw, I gingerly touched it trying to evaluate it's condition. Thank the gods it's wasn't broken, but I already could feel it starting to swell.

"YOU TELL US WHERE YOU HAVE ARTEMIS AND THALIA!" She demanded. The other hunters either were with this hunter or were just bystanders. I stood and with clenched fists and answered, "Listen, I do not know where Thalia and Artemis is! Can't you see, I'm one of you?! I'm on your side!"

The girl cursed again and landed her fist in my stomach, I doubled over and she then hit me to the ground. "You are not one of us!" She shouted, "Traitor!" I squirmed from the pain, moaning for some kind of help. But no one came for me. The hunter kicked me and I was tossed across the room. I couldn't force myself to get up. The pain was so terrible, I couldn't stand it.  
"YOU WILL TELL US WHERE OUR LEADERS ARE!" the girl demanded.

My head throbbed I could hardly think, I could hear my heartbeat inside my head. The hunter kicked me again, I rolled again, and I saw her face, even though she spoke with such anger and fury her eyes said that she was afraid, scared, and desperate. My head throbbed even harder, I thought I was going to pass out. "I. Don't. Know." I moaned.  
The girl yelled and was about to kick me again into unconsciousness, but I heard a arrow sail pass my head and then the Hunter's pants were pinned to to the floorboard. The arrow was golden and I rolled my head to see who fired and saw Darren standing in the back doorway with bow in hand.  
"Back off!" He shouted.

No one back away, instead The Hunters pulled out their own weapons to defend themselves. I heard little footsteps come up and I saw Lilly in the doorway and she saw me and gasped. "NO!" She shouted.

"Go Lilly." I moaned. But she wouldn't budge. I could see that she had a mixture of hate and sadness. "Leave my friend alone!" She shouted.  
The Hunter that beat me up pulled out the arrow, "You need to choose your friends better."  
"NO!" She screamed and stomped her foot and then a thick fog came rolling in and the next thing I knew The Hunters were all knocked out in their places.

Darren quickly came over to my side and fed me a square caramel looking thing, it melted in my mouth I tasted some warm chocolate chip cookies with marshmallows in them. Instantly I felt better, I sat up, "What was that?!" I looked over at Lilly and she was marveling at herself.  
"I don't know." She replied.

"Come on," Darren lifted me up and supported me with his arms as I put my arm across his shoulders. "Get my stuff we have to get out of here!"  
Lilly ran past Darren and I and grabbed the pack that I made for myself, and picked up my quiver and gave it to me. I slung my quiver over my shoulders and my bag on my strong shoulder. "Come on we have to see a Rachel: For a prophecy."

"Ah I know where she'll be."

"Where?" I asked.

"If she wasn't summoned to the council she'll be in her cave."

Darren helped me out.

By the time we got to Rachel's cave I was able to walk on my own, but my jaw still was throbbing and yeah, swollen. We came up to the cave and I saw green Greek Fire burning I could hear it crackling. I wanted to run and hide, something was completely setting me off and I hated it. But Darren pressed forward but Lilly clung to me.

I decided to be brave and stepped into the cave. I saw a girl with wild red hair and a was wearing a long dark green cloak. At first her back was towards us but she turned and Darren first and smiled, "Oh hey Darren!" Then her eyes landed on me, and it looked like she was having a seizure! She lay on the floor shaking uncontrollably, I walked up to try to help her but Darren put out his arm to stop me, "It's ok." 

Suddenly the girl I figured was Rachel stopped and suddenly rose up, and started speaking with a raspy voice.

_"From a daughter that was beaten:  
__From a son that resents  
From a daughter that has been forgotten._

A trio must dive to find the lost ones.  
A new threat commences

_A new plan is done._

Archer and Magic combined

_they will find the heroes gone  
But The Fates have cut a string_

_It cannot be undone._

But this is only the beginning,  
Yes.  
There is more to this  
than meets the eye."

Rachel collapsed and Darren was quick to catch her and lay her gently down and cover her with some sheet to keep her warm. Darren turned back to me, "Remember that?"  
I shook my head, "Memory isn't my strong suit."

Lilly then raised her hand, "I do."  
I looked at Darren, "We have to get out of here."  
Darren nodded and we all walked out of there. But something weighed on me, _"... The Fates have cut a string: It cannot be undone."_

Someone was going to die before this quest was over.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

So apparently since I got the quest I was leader, and as leader: I had no idea where this Oak Grove Louisiana was, OR even how to get there in four days. The cash we had on hand would never pay enough for three plane tickets. Plus Lilly didn't like that idea of flying, "I get air sick." she said.

"Cabs are too expensive." I said.  
"Train." Darren replied simply, "A train is our best bet."

"So then friend, where are we off too?" I asked with my hands on my hips.  
"Simple, Chiron always has us go to Penn station. They made protective barriers around the station so if needed campers on quests could get off to an easy start."

"Let's get on bus or something then!"

Ok lettme say that it was a looong walk before we found a bus stop. Yes I wanted to take a bus (less cash needed). It was smelly and a couple of raggy old men with tattered clothes and thinning white hair and scuffs for beards. We, Darren, Lilly and I sat in the front while the two men sat in the very back on opposite side of each other.

My suspicions were being aroused, my famous alarms were going off again as we sat down. I looked around it was sorta bright in the bus and I could see outside and it was busy at night, but nothing to make me nervous. I looked back at the men in the back, they seemed harmless so I turned around and just tried to relax.

As the bus went along it picked up a few more passengers. Nothing out of the ordinary, but when we arrived at Penn Station, things started to get interesting. We got off the bus and so did those two men that we sitting in the back. I looked over my shoulder and noted that they were tailing us. I leaned over to Darren as we walked and whispered, "Don't look now we're being tailed."  
"Be ready?"

I nodded, I looked at his face, "So much for an easy start."  
Darren chuckled, "We should be safe when we pass through the borders, they shouldn't have admittance into the building."

We came to the somewhat busy doors and entered the building. I felt slightly better and we all causally walked up to the ticket counter. I was the bearer of cash so I went up to the ticket window.

"Hi." I said.  
"Hello." The woman replied.

"Um I need to get to Oak Grove Louisiana."  
The lady typed up the info, "Yes mam; you will need to pay for three train rides and a bus fair or a cab to get to wherever. God that town in tiny!"  
"Three train rides?"  
The lady nodded, "Yes. One to Chicago Illinois, and then to Houston Texas then take one to to Shreveport, I can reserve a taxi for you if you wish to take you to your destination."  
I sighed, "Yes that'll do."  
"How many adults and how many children?"  
I looked up at the ticket sales sign, "Uhhh, two adults, one child?"

"yes mam'. You'll have to purchace the next tickets when you reach the station."  
"Ok umm, how long will this trip take?"  
"Oh a good three days."

I mumbled under my breath and paid the fair.  
"Have a nice trip!"

I smiled back at her and walked to Darren and Lilly and handed them their tickets.  
"Chicago?"  
I rolled my eyes, "yeah no direct route, we'll be going to Chicago and switch trains to Houston and then to Shreveport. Maybe then a cab then depending how much cash we have left by then."

When I handed the tickets to Darren and Lilly I caught something in the corner of my eye. I looked up and, "What the-?"

There in a corner of the building were the two homeless looking men, just staring at us. I looked at Darren, "I thought you said monsters couldn't get in!"  
"Well they don't!"

I looked back at the men and they were just standing and staring at us. I grabbed Lilly's hand and said, "Let hurry to the platform maybe we can loose them."  
Darren looked over his shoulder and saw the men, "That's not right."

"Ya think?"

We got to our platform and I looked for our train and I looked on the arrival board, "TEN MINUTES?!" Lilly looked behind us, "There here." She said.  
Darren and I turned around and there they were, standing as if to challenge us.  
"Who are you?" Darren asked, "And how were you able to pass our defenses?"

They spoke in dark voices in unison, "We are the _Kobaloi _and we have come for you."

Just then Lilly sneezed and the men were in a puff of smoke and what they revealed were male versions of Tinker Bell, with purple togas and brown sandals instead of green. They kinda looked like human grapes with pointy ears. The _Kobaloi_ were dismayed, "That _kid _did that!"  
Lilly sniffed, "Sorry. I-I don't know how I did that."

"Oh I know what you guys are now! You're a species of sprites that Greek parents told stories to their kids to behave. Cause they scared children and stole from them. You hang around Mr. D don't you?"

"Yes, and we _were_ going to just take your valuables, and just give you a scare." They said together, and they transformed into two hellhounds. Six heads, two bodies, three heads each. Yikes.  
They barked, "We'll just kill you instead." They growled.

Both Darren and I pulled out our bows simultaneously and threatened with our bows, "We do not want to fight." I said, "Back off and we'll leave in piece."

The hellhounds only growled. Lilly hung close to me, hardly not know what to do. Why did I bring her along? Oh that's right I couldn't deny that kid. If she was a Hermes kid I really didn't know what she could do, so I just let her cling to me.

"Darren you take one and I'll take the other?" I whispered, without looking at him.

He nodded and kept his aim on the hellhound on the left while I kept on mine on the right one.  
One Mississippi... Nothing

Two Mississippi,

Three Mississippi,

Four Mississippi

Five-

The dogs lept into the air, I shot an arrow and I hit my mark just on the side of the neck on the far left one. The dog fell to the ground and winced and tried to paw at the arrow.

I looked down at Lilly, "Hey Lil' get out of here find a safe place and I'll come for you."

I gently nudged her away from my body as the _Kobaloi_ started to turn it's attention back on me. "Go!" I shouted. Lilly quickly ran towards the exit and I turned my attention to the hell hound. _Kobaloi_ had followed it's gaze on Lilly but I fired an arrow and hit the _ Kobaloi_ on the neck of the far left one again. The _Kobaloi_ shook his head and then it's hideous gaze came on me again. He ran at me with great speed, and tackled me to the ground.

My head hit the solid concrete, my head was aching but ass I stared at those horrible ugly mugs, I was awake. The hellhound growled at me and licked his lips. I slowly reached for my knife on my belt.  
"I hope you're scared." The heads growled, I gripped the handle of the knife.

The other hellhound roared and I turned my head and saw Darren avoiding the huge paws of the hellhound pursuing him. My hellhound used his paw and hit my face so I'd look at him. I felt my blood trickle down my face, and the sting of the wounds.  
"FEAR ME!" The Hellhound's head yelled at me. I sheathed my knife, but before I could stab him the _Kobaloi_ stuck his paw against my shoulder and it dislocated it. I screamed in pain and looked at my shoulder and it was severely was out of place. I could hardly move my arm, and the knife fell limp in my hands.

I tried popping my shoulder back into place, but to no avail, I started to loose feeling in my arm. Suddenly a arrow shot into the middle head of the hellhound and the _ Kabaloi_ roared and tumbled away from me. I sucked up and twisted on my side grabbed my knife with my good hand and quickly stabbed the hellhound's middle head on the neck opposite of that golden arrow. I cried out as the hellhound roared in pain and it fell down slowly transforming back into this elvish form and then landed on me dead. I tried using my one good arm but that it didn't work well. The other _Kabaloi_ fell down dead and Darren pushed the other _Kabaloi_ off of me and they both simultaneously turned to ash.

I sat up and winched at my arm; Darren took a firm but gentle grip, "I'm going to reset it, brace yourself." I bit down on my lip and waited. Darren took a firmer grip on my shoulder and counted, "One, two-"

_POP!_

I yelled in pain an held my arm gingerly, "Lilly?"

I heard the train already coming, and I couldn't see Lilly anywhere. "Lilly?" I slowly got up and Lilly appeared from a bench: I didn't even see her! "Is it safe?"

I saw the train coming up, "Yeah, it should be."

The train pulled up and we all quietly filed in.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

We eventually found an empty booth and sat together on a padded bench. Darren sat closest to the window while I sat next to him, and Lilly curled up to me and quickly fell asleep. I relaxed against Darren ready for sleep to overtake me. I felt Darren's breathing on his shoulder, it was so rhythmic and so soothing. I looked up at Darren and I had noticed that he wasn't himself anymore.

I didn't know him that well, but I could see that he wasn't smiling the way he used to when I met him. Before I realized it I was staring up at Darren, and he noticed that I was staring at him; he looked down at me, "What?"  
I looked away, blushed, and grinned to hide my embaressment, "N-nothing." I replied. There was a pause, my smiled melted away and then looked back up at Darren, "You seem different since the games: Is there anything wrong?"

It was Darren's turn to look away, he sighed deeply as if something was building up inside of him and he was releasing the pressure. For a moment he said nothing, then, "I'm just upset, about the game. I heard all of the Heroes of Olympus, including Clarisse and Thalia."  
I didn't add a comment and just let him talk.

"I- I was there when Annabeth and Clarisse were taken. I-I was helpless to help them."  
"Who took them?" I asked.  
"Hazel, another of The Seven: I'm fairly certain she was the one."  
"I think that's what Leo said, and he was taken too."  
"Leo Valdez?"  
I shrugged, "I guess."  
"He's apart of the Seven as well."

"Ok who are the seven?"

Darren sighed and shifted uncomfortably, "They are considered to be the Heroes of the Century, and the most powerful demigods, and the favorites of the gods."  
"How so?" I asked.  
Darren sighed again, "Ever since Gaea, _they,_ have gotten all the dangerous quests. While the rest of us just deliver the strawberries." Darren's voice was full of anger and resentment

_**From the son that resents**_

The voice of Rachel echoed in my mind.

Darren... He. Resented the gods or perhaps the heroes themselves or maybe he hated himself.  
"Why?" I asked.

Darren grunted, "Cause the gods play their favorites ok? They say they don't but they do it anyway. And Hermes, Apollo, and the minor god cabins have been left out in the cold. While the others get blessing after blessing, and quest after quest. Not even letting us prove ourselves heroes."  
I sighed and tried to calm Darren down, "Well Darren you have a chance to prove yourself now." I snuggled up closer to him.

I closed my eyes and curled up closer to Darren. I felt a blanket come across my shoulders and fall over Lilly. I opened my eyes and looked up Darren and he looked down and smiled at me. He turned and I fell against his chest and Lilly rested against my stomach. Darren wrapped his arms attentively around me and Lilly. His chest rose slowly as we both slowly fell asleep.

Even though I was still asleep, I awoke suddenly to a stone hard ground, I panted and straight ahead of me there were nine people gagged and tied. They struggled at their bonds, I recognized a lot of them. Starting from my left was, Thalia, Piper, the there was a blonde with a scar on his lip, Leo, a another girl with armor that was torn apart and had a long brown disheveled hair her eyes betrayed pure fury, then there was Annabeth and beside her was the guy that called her wise girl, Annabeth curled up against the guy and the guy gave her some support, next was Clairsse and she fought at her bonds as hard as she could, then there was an Asian looking guy just sitting there, he looked like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest.

I stirred and sat up and walked up to them and tried to touch Annabeth's shoulder: my hand only phased through as if I was a ghost. Annabeth shivered and looked straight through me. She looked around as if to find something, but I heard footsteps behind.

I turned around and backed away as two hooded figures came in. One was shorter than the other, but both were scary to say the least.

The two stood in front of their prizes and synced together they raised their arms and pulled back their hoods. The shorter one was the girl that took Leo and Thalia, yeah, Leo had called her Hazel: Her curly cinnamon hair fell around her shoulders and her stare was like death. The other was pale in very sense of the word. He, yes, he was scrawny and seemed like he had been in a struggle for a long time, he seemed to have not had eaten in a while and was bruised a little.

With a wave of his hand everyone's gags fell from their mouths.  
"WHAT THE-" Clairsse yelled, "NICO DI ANGELO WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Nico didn't reply but just stared.

"Nico, what's wrong what do you want with us?" The guy beside Annabeth asked.

Nico did answer.

"What's come over you two?" Annabeth asked.

"Your friends are gone." The voice replied from Hazel, "And they will _never_ come back." She continued.  
"WHO ARE YOU!" The Asian looking dude demanded.

Hazel turned her head and both Nico's and Hazel's eyes flashed blood red, Hazel smiled and something began to twist inside me. I choked and fell to the ground and wreathed in pain.  
"We are not alone." Nico said in a dark voice.

Hazel turned to him, "Where?"

Nico looked around the room with his red eyes and then they landed straight on me, "There." I felt my insides twist and jumble together. I screamed as I felt my lungs being twisted like a wet rag.  
"LEAVE!" Hazel shouted.

I felt my spine snap inside me and my pupils shrunk, and I stopped breathing and...

I woke up screaming and Darren fell off the seat which cause me to fall and Lilly behind me. We all groaned from our fall and rose slowly from the floor. "What was that?!" Darren asked.  
I didn't reply as I put my hand to my forehead.  
Lilly looked at me and asked, "You had a bad dream didn't you?"  
I looked at her and Darren explained, "Demigods like us usually never have good dreams especially when things are going down to Tarterus."

For a moment we just all stared at each other, until Darren asked me to share the dream.  
I took in a deep breath and began sharing the dream.

After I made sure to explain the dream in full detail Darren confirmed the identities of Nico and Hazel, "Yup that's them alright. Last time I knew of their whereabouts Nico was somewhere in Seattle and Hazel along with her boyfriend Frank: The Asian in your dream, and Jason: the guy with the scar on his lip, were on a quest of some sorts. They came by the camp for officially setting off." 

"I remember that!" Lilly offered, "Hazel was nice enough and tried to see if Hades or Pluto was my godly parent but it didn't turn out."  
I was confused, "I thought you were a Daughter of Hermes."  
Lilly shook her head, "I'm an unclaimed," She paused and added, "It's not bad I'm not even thirteen so yeah. I mean I try to find out who is my godly parent, but-"

Darren jumped in, "Do you at least know if your godly parent is your mom or dad?"  
Lilly shook her head again, "I lived in an orphanage before camp. I don't even know who my mortal parent is." She stared at the floor, "I try my hand at different things, but nothing works: The other day when you came I was trying to see if Apollo was my Dad and I misfired and almost hit you and Darren."

"That was you?" Darren asked.

Lilly kept her eyes glued to the floor, "Yes." She whispered, "And I thought that coming on this quest would get my godly parent's attention and claim me."

We said nothing as we sat there together. We all were on this quest for very different reasons.

Darren: To be recognized as a hero

Me: I wanted my mother back and it would be nice if the Hunters didn't hate me.

Lilly: To find her godly parent.

I just hoped that we'd find all we wanted.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

After that discussion we hardly said anything to each other. Honestly there wasn't much to talk about, right now we just had to get to Oak Grove and get our instructions from Apollo. Well they just knew we were heading to Oak Grove. I decided that they didn't need to hear it, at least not yet.

But the train pulled into some Chicago station that I don't remember the name of it and I wasn't paying attention to that, I was more worried about the money situation: Two more train rides about $300 bucks left. (hey cash goes quick) I mean we need food, and transportation and that costs some serious denero, especially with an appetite like Darren's that we just discovered at a Waffle House for breakfast.

Allow me to list what we ate:

Pancakes, eggs, some slices of ham, a couple of biscuits smothered in gravy, a bunch of grapes, a WHOLE orange, and coffee. All that was just Darren, and their serving sizes were pretty large. I ended up with a coffee and some eggs and Lilly had some chocolate milk and french toast; which she couldn't finish and Darren took that over: Watching Darren eat made me want to puke. 

Once it seemed Darren was finished eat we all decided to wait out the dead time between trains and walked to the Institution of Art. For once nothing happened and I think both Lilly and Darren somewhat enjoyed the little trip.

We then took a trip to Micky D's, (McDonald's), for a cheap lunch and just to chill for a little bit before the next train. But I'm sorry but nothing bad happened while we were there either.

I was a bundle of nerves I my head and heart jumped when someone came through the door or came by us. While I was watching every move made by everything; Darren was telling Lilly stories about some of his screw ups at camp. I just watched the the door with beady eyes.

I heard Darren's voice get low and he began to build on his story, his voice rising with it. Darren paused dramatically: I was hardly noticing but Darren yelled, "BAM!" and I jumped and since I was sitting closer to the wall my head happen to hit the wall.

Darren and Lilly both laughed as I groaned and sat up rubbing the back of my head. Darren offered his hand to help me up and I took it and Darren commented, "You need to loosen up."

My eyes went wide as I countered that statement, "You said we were safe at Penn Station and got our butts kicked by a couple of sprites!"

Lilly stared for a moment, got up from her spot and picked up her soda cup, "Speaking of Sprite, I'm going to get a refill." and she was gone.

"Well," Darren said, "Sprites aren't normally hostile, to us at least, unless you cross in their territory."

I swallowed, "Still." I said quietly, "It happened and I just want to be ready."  
"Then be ready!" Darren declared, "But there's no reason to stress over that, something _could_ happen." Darren paused for a second, "You saved me by being relaxed and you listened to your instincts when they said an arrow was coming."

I chuckled under my breath at that memory, and grinned, "I guess you're right."  
"I am right, and I have incredible height!" Darren replied as he put his hand behind his head and relaxed against the back of the chair.

I rolled my eyes, "Your height is fleeting as the light and night."  
"OOOOOOOOHHH double whammy!"

I rolled her eyes again, "You're hands seem like their quite clammy."

"Ok," Darren replied, "Now you're just showing off."  
I smiled and laughed, "Excuse me," I paused, "I need to cough."  
"Now I see why people hate this so much."  
I looked at Darren's slightly unfinished burger and asked, "Are you going to finish your lunch?"

Darren's face was priceless.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

Well jeez I don't know what else to tell you, other than we went to the train station and actually pointlessly boring and nothing happened again. Oh the irony that at Penn Station that we were supposed to be safe and everywhere else we were safe: Life is more twisted than I thought.

But hold on kiddos, this chapter happens to have _some_ action, ok a lot of action. But it all started back at the train station in Shreveport Louisiana, other than the extreme humidity, even in January, it was freezing! Just because there is humidity in the air apparently just doesn't make it hot, if the air is cold it makes it feel colder.

"Welcome to the South!" Darren said with a smile.  
"You've been here before?" Lilly asked.  
"Mom and I lived in the South a lot; Louisiana a lot for some odd reason."  
"Why didn't you say something before?" I asked.  
Darren flashed a huge grin and replied, "You never asked."

We walked out of the train station and looked around for a transport of some sort. "Bus or Cab?" Lilly asked. I thought for a moment and smiled, "I'm feeling a lil' generous, let's go for a taxi." We all walked towards the front of the building. We slowed because of the people in front of us and so we waited patiently for our turn to exit the building.

That was when my alarm bells went off, but I was too slow to react when a hand that was slightly reptilian grabbed Darren's shoulder and with a quick yelp and he was pulled into the crowd. I turned and I looked around for Darren. I had decided that I couldn't pull out my bow until absolutely necessary but I really still wanted to pull it out.

I grabbed Lilly's hand and I pushed myself through the bumbling crowd, bumping into a lot of people that wanted to get away. But for a moment the crowd disappeared and I saw in the center of the room Darren and a woman with a thick long python's tail from her waist down. I gasped and the crowd was back and I didn't see the half snake woman and Darren.

I smelled the air and yes I did smell snake but apparently it came from a little pet garner snake in a plastic carrying case. Now let me tell you this now: I: with a white hot intensity of a thousand and one suns: HATE SNAKES! See I was bitten by a _venomous_ snake: yeah I was in Texas that ONE time and I got bit and next thing I knew I was in a hospital. You'd think since my Mother is the goddess of creatures that the snake would be nice to me and leave me alone. Well I just had to walk in and it hissed at me and then it managed to bite me. So yes I hate snakes.

I inched away from the guy with the snake and continued to look for Darren in the crowd. I heard Lilly whimper and I looked down at her and saw her shaking and stared in fear at the center of the building: without taking her eyes off the center she reached for my arm and slowly drew close to me. I looked towards the center and only saw a crowd. My alarms reached their peak, and my head hurt my body yelled at me to move or do something but I didn't know where the danger was coming from. Then something thick and heavy hit my legs and knocked me to the ground. I hit my head on the stone floor and found myself staring at the ceiling.

I quickly got back up and noticed that Lilly had disappeared in the crowd. People brushed up against ne and starting to push me back. I started to freak out as I could hardly breathe and yearned for space and fresh air. Another fun fact about me: I'm claustrophobic, and that was NOT helping me at all. I was swept up in the sea of people. I screamed as the people pushed me out towards the door. I thought they were just being rude and were just trying to get through. But I looked and found they were intentionally pushing me away, they no longer had suitcases, or any bags but were just people pushing against me. I reached my hand up screamed for all it was worth. Everyone in that train station was literally against me

"SAVE YOUR FRIENDS!" A harsh voice yelled. The voice was cold cruel and unforgiving, it was like when your Mom was seriously upset because you did something wrong. The people surrounded me and the air around me seemed to suck the air out of me. I felt like drowning in a waterspout together the people lefted me up and I practically crowd surfed in a tornado of people. My head spun: I could hardly think, I looked down and I saw people somehow standing in a hole bottomless hole. Now don't ask me how that works but it did anyway, I still don't know how that happened and how physics didn't apply to these people. They continued to pass me along the line of people and I was slowly going into the hole.

I screamed as I tried to stop the people from carrying me into the bottomless pit. No: I wanted the air, the blue sky. I hated the crammed people in the hole, and worse yet, as I looked down I couln't see what was in there!  
I heard a voice laugh as I struggled against the people, and a body appeared suspended in air he stood there with disheveled hair, and eyes that were wide with fear and looked like he hadn't slept in centuries, an dclothes that were rags and was dirty from top to bottom.  
"I have not had this much since," He paused for a moment, "Since the Black Plague!" He reclined on an invisible chair, "Oh the fear of The Great Plague: The fear of death and the unknown! This is so much fun!"

I was still being carried down the hole, and I shouted, "WHO ARE YOU!?"

The guy disappeared in black smoke and reappeared on my left side with a bowler cap and cane and took off his hat and bowed in an gentlemanly way, "The name is Deimos, minor god of Fear, and I will be your fear today."

"I FEAR NOTHING!" I lied.

Deimos looked up and wagged his finger back and forth and clicked his tongue, "Tick, tisk, tisk: Don't lie to me Hannah: I know everyone's fear: even yours."

I continued down the line of people, and the hole was coming closer to me and it rose closer to me at the same time.  
"You hate being enclosed in tight spaces: you fear snakes, and you fear that you'll never get your Mother back and that you'll be hated amongst The Hunters." I screamed at the top of my lungs as the darkness of the hole overcame me, my heart pumped, squeezing the blood through my veins and quickly too! I felt like I couldn't breathe as the walls closed in around me, and darkness surrounded me. I screamed through the emptiness and darkness surrounded me and I heard that harsh mother voice yell, "SAVE YOUR FRIENDS!"

and I heard Lilly scream, "I CAN'T!"

I screamed bloody murder again as fear arose and took over my mind.

"YOU CAN STOP THEM!" The harsh mother voice replied again.

I heard Lilly scream again and a green mist shrouded around me, and I heard the harsh mother voice whisper, "You have failed the test."

My lungs took in the green mist and I felt it fill my body, and take me over. The hands of the people fell away from me but I was left suspended in the air. My heart slowed down and the fear subsided, and my body automatically heaved in and breathed in a massive amount of green mist entered my body. I felt it filling myself like helium filling a balloon. My head fell back and tried to breathe out but my body didn't let me but just continued breathing in for the mist. My eyes rolled back and my head felt light headed and I closed my eyes and fell unconscious.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen:

I slowly woke up to the sound of a car moving with me inside: like I was in a car. The place where I was laying in suddenly swerved to the left and my body slammed into another body that hit like car plastic and I was awake in an instant and a hand came down on my head and bumped me to the floor of the car. I groaned as I stirred from the floor of the car and looked up and saw Darren rubbing his head and Lilly still passed out laying out on the car seat.

"What was that?" Darren asked, he offered me a hand up and I gently put Lilly on my lap and checked Lilly over, she was breathing, but knocked out completely. I looked over at Darren, "What happened back there?"

"The question is deeries-" an old hag's voice said from the driver's seat. I looked for a second and the car swerved again and my head hit Darren's shoulder, while Darren's head hit the car side. Lilly just slept on my lap.  
"Is what is going on." Another hag said.

"SISTER WATCH YOU'RE DRIVING!" The other hag shouted.

"Well Anger give me the eye and I WILL PERHAPS DRIVE BETTER!" the hag at the wheel shouted.

"Oh no!" Darren cried out, "Not these jokers!"  
"Watch your tongue young man." A hag on the far right turned and in her gnarled hand she grasped an eye.  
"Ewww!" I cried out. The thing was disgusting, it mad my stomach turn! That and the driving of the other hag.  
The hag turned around and mumbled something to the other two all I was able to hear was, "... even for this pay." The car suddenly swerved again harshly and both Darren and I cried out as the hag that was trying to gain control again.

"I hoped I'd never see these wack jobs!" Darren yelled.

"CAN IT!" The middle hag yelled.  
"We can just toss you out and you can walk the rest of the way the gods forsaken town!"

"Who are you?"

"RIGHT!" A hag called out and the car veered right and we were all tossed like salad in a bowl. But Lilly just stayed curled up in my lap, sleeping away. Honestly I envy her so she doesn't have to remember this.

"WHAT OUT FOR THAT TREE!" the far right hag yelled.  
"What tree?" the one driving asked.  
"THAT TREE!"

"Do please be more specific sister Anger."

The middle hag covered her face to protect herself, "Give Tempest the eye!" She cried out.

"All right all right fine." the hag grumbled and tossed the squishy thing of an eye across the cabin and the hag at the wheel caught it with ease and quickly swerved to the right again tossing all of us, and yes even then Lilly didn't even budge.

"Alright now we are on the right track." Tempest said with a slight bit of happiness.  
"I will ask it again... Who are you three?"  
"Isn't it obvious?" Tempest started.

"We are-" the middle one added.

"The Gray Sisters." the last one named Anger interrupted.

"Can I say more than two words?" the middle one complained.

"You said something." Tempest replied.  
"Well you two got three words. I only got two." The middle complained.  
"Wasp!" the other two groaned, "Stop complaining about those little things."

"How did we get here?" Darren asked.  
"The children ask too many questions." Anger hissed.  
"Too many questions indeed." Tempest finished.

"Let me have a say!" Wasp compained.

"Then say something!" Anger shouted.

"Cheesecake!" Wasp said gleefully.

"Cheesecake?!" the other two repeated together in disgust.

"Yeah cheesecake!"  
"Why cheesecake?" Anger asked.

"Cause I want cheesecake!"

"Well once we get our tooth back maybe you can have some!" Tempest sneered.

"For the last time I'm sorry I lost the tooth, could you two get off my back already?!"

"NO!" Both shouted.

The car swerved again.

"Who payed for our trip?"

"One shouldn't ask," Anger started  
"What a goddess intends to keep secret!" Tempest finish.

"Yeah! Cheesecake!" Wasp added.

The two other sisters groaned, and Tempest hit the gas pedal with no restraint, and my body planted against the seat.

Up ahead I saw a small town coming up against the dash, "Finally!" One of the sisters cried, "We've gotten to this small town, now..." Anger said.  
"If we can only get to that ice cream shop." Tempest added.

"Can we get some ice cream?" Wasp asked.

"NO!"

I got a quick glance at the city limit sign and it said, _Oak Grove_.

"How? Who gave you the cash and knew where we were going?"

"Secrets the goddess wants to keep." Anger hissed.  
"And she payed well to keep it a secret." Wasp added.

"SHUT UP!"

There was a crossroad with a stop light and all but...

Well they weren't paying attention to the laws, and yes somehow we made the left turn without any accidents. Tempest took a right turn and suddenly hit the brakes and I saw the back of the front seat and my head slammed with Lilly still sleeping in my lap.

"GET OUT KIDDIES!" Anger yelled, and before I knew it I was dumped out on the sidewalk, with Darren on my right and Lilly curled up still sleeping.

"You're a tad late." a voice said and I looked up and saw Apollo licking an ice cream.

I looked back to the road and saw the taxi's tires squeal, "They drive a taxi?" I asked.

Darren shrugged and nodded.

"Somebody needs to get them to do something less dangerous." I mumbled.

Apollo chuckled, "Believe me we've tried."

Darren quickly dusted himself off and got up, "Dad? What are you doing here?"

I shook Lilly and she slowly woke up as if nothing happened, "What-?"  
"You slept through all that?" Darren asked.

"Through what?"

"I'm one for jokes and fun, but now is not the time." Apollo motioned to a wooden picnic table, "Join me?"

We each sat at the table Lilly in the middle, me in front of Apollo and Darren on the other end.  
"Before we begin Apollo, may I ask: why here?"  
Apollo laughed, "Oak Grove has been a close and quiet place for me." Apollo turned his head, "It's where I met your mother."  
Darren took in a sudden breath of air, he seemed to be surprised. Darren then looked away and looked like he was holding tears back.

"She actually worked here if you believe it."

Darren then got up and walked a distance away.

"Darren?" I asked as I turned from the table.

"Don't worry about him Miss Hannah, just give him a moment."

"What happened to his Mom?"

Those words seemed to strike Apollo and he seemed like he was going to cry too.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No. It's alright, but let's get down to business." Apollo motioned for Darren to sit down.  
While Darren was walking to sit down Apollo turned to the window for the ice cream shop, "Give each one a round on me."

The woman at the window nodded and smiled and went to work.

Darren settled down at the tabled and wiped his face with his arm as Apollo began to talk, "Now about Artemis: She's been put in Hades high security prison, even Hermes can't even break in or out of there."  
"What do you want from us?" Lilly shyly asked.  
"Break her out before it's too late." Apollo replied.

"When is too late?" I asked.

"A week from now: Since the winter solstice he has been gathering power. Now the thing is during the winter solstice Hades is the most powerful but usually his power diminishes to normal but somehow he has retained his power and gained some alone the way."

Apollo took a lick of his ice cream.

"How is that?" I asked.

"I believe that Hades has made secret packs with other minor gods: One I have confirmed that Nike is one of them."  
"The goddess of victory?" Lilly asked, "How can we hope to win if she's on Hades' side?"  
"Funny thing about Nike is that she is bound to the winner no matter what she thinks."

"So there is a chance?"

Apollo thought for a moment, "It's there... kid."

"Great." I groaned.

"What about the other demi-gods that are captive?"

"Oh yeah," Apollo replied, "Yeah get them out while you are there."

"Anything else- Dad?" Darren said with a angry voice.  
I looked at Darren and his face seemed like he was a hurt animal.

Apollo looked Darren directly in Darren's eyes and replied, "Yeah: come back alive, I'd rather not have more demi blood be spilled: I can't bear to loose another son."  
Apollo looked back at me, "Make sure he comes back alive." He stood up from the table, "Eat your ice cream and go down to Hades: you'll find the prison soon enough."

Apollo inhaled his cone and acted as if it was normal (I think that's where Darren got his table manners). "Please friends eat, and be on your way!"

Apollo began to glow and we all shielded our eyes and when we looked back we all have differently ice cream cones in our hands. We all looked at each other, and slowly we all solemnly ate together.

We all had a long journey ahead of us...


End file.
